Vibrating soundmaker



Dec. 31, 1968 c. AYALA 3,418,749

VIBRAT ING SOUNDMAKER Filed Oct. 22, 1965 s W t i m; i I nwtm Y 1 lNVENTOR CARLAYALA ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,418,749 VIBRATING SOUNDMAKER Carl Ayala, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, 11]., a partnership Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 500,677 3 Claims. (Cl. 46-189) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A soundmaker for a toy comprising a hollow resonant chamber provided with a circular side wall and supporting an annular member within the casing having an exposed serrated edge. A metal ball is supported by the serrated edge and the side wall for rolling movement of the ball along the edge to thereby produce sounds.

The present invention relates generally to sound makers for toys and is particularly directed to a novel sound maker which is simple and inexpensive to construct and requires no operating mechanism.

Sound is an important feature of many toys, particularly in connection with figure toys, and a wide variety of sound making devices have been designed for such purpose. Many of the known sound making devices rely upon actuation of a reed or whistle or the vibration of flexible members against a diaphragm and, therefore, require an operating mechanism and some positive movement on the part of the user to actuate such mechanism. The present invention is particularly concerned with providing a sound making device which has no motor, spring, etc. and which operates automatically by simply changing the position of the sound making device or toy in which it is incorporated.

It is the prirnary object of the present invention to provide a sound making device which has but one movable part and is actuated by gravity. A further object of the invention is to provide a sound maker comprising a hollow resonant casing having an exposed serrated edge within the casing and a ball which is disposed for rolling movement along the serrated edge to effect vibrations in the casing and thereby produce sounds. Still another object of the invention is to provide a hollow cylindrical casing having an opening in one wall, a concentric circular member fixed within the casing and having a serrated periphery, and a metal ball arranged within the casing so that the ball rolls between the serrated edge and the cylindrical wall by gravity as the casing is tilted. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the selected embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a stuffed toy in corporating the sound making device;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged top plan view of one embodiment of the sound making device, with the top wall portion removed;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view of the device seen in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a modified form of the sound maker;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of still another modification of the invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the structure seen in FIGURE 5.

With reference to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be seen that the principal embodiment of this invention comprises a housing 10 including a generally cylindrical side wall portion 12, a top wall 14 and a bottom wall 16. The bottom wall 16 has an opening 18 therethrough to transmit the sound outside the housing or casing 10. This bottom Wall also includes on its inner surface a circular member 20, which is preferably concentrically arranged within the casing 10, and the periphery 22 of this circular member is serrated or toothed, as seen particularly in FIGURE 2. A ball 24, which is preferably of a metal such as steel, is disposed within the casing in position for rolling engagement with the serrated periphery 22 of the circular member 20. In this respect, it has been found that the best results are obtained when the ball 24 is positioned in the casing so as to strike the upper corner portion only of the teeth or serrations on member 20, as seen particularly in FIGURE 3. In order to retain the ball within a path between the cylindrical wall 12 and the toothed circular member 20, there is provided a guard or retaining means in the form of a cylindrical member 26 which is fixed to the upper wall 14 in concentric relation to the axis of cylindrical casing 10.

Consequently, as the casing 10 is moved the ball 24 is free to roll by gravity, and as it rolls along its defined path it sequentially engages the serrations along the edge 22 of the circular member 20 while also maintaining contact with the side wall 12 of the casing. Such engagement produces vibrations within the casing 10, and the casing serves as a sounding chamber and transmits such vibrations to the surrounding atmosphere through the opening 18.

In one form of the invention, the casing 10* is made of plastic, specifically high-impact styrene, and the same material is used for the serrated member 20 and the ball retaining member 26 within the casing. The ball is a steel ball with the result that it is highly responsive to the action of gravity to roll freely, and a relatively sustained sound can be achieved, therefore, through a relatively slight shift in the position of the casing 10. The resulting sound is similar to the growling of an animal and, therefore, the device is particularly effective in connection with stuifed teddy bears, dogs, lions, and the like. As illustrated generally in FIGURE 1, the soundmaker 10 is particularly effective when placed in the bottom of a stuifed toy 30 with the path of movement of the ball generally parallel to the supporting surface for the toy. As the toy is picked up, the ball begins to rotate under the influence of gravity and causes a sound to be produced. Further, the vibrations produced as the ball rolls around its path and strikes the serrated edge 22 of member 20 are transmitted to the body of the toy and provides a feeling of life in the toy to the holder. As the toy is replaced on a supporting surface, the ball continues to roll for a brief interval until it comes to rest and, consequently, there is a prolonging of the sound beyond the period of time in which the toy is handled.

The character of the sound produced by the described mechanism, due to the vibrations of the casing in the described manner, can be readily altered to produce sounds of various pitch. Generally, this can be achieved by a change in the dimensions of the casing, the pitch and size of the serrated teeth, and by changing the size and/or material used for the ball. Of course, the type of material used for the casing is also a factor in determining the type of sound produced. For example, in place of a relatively hard plastic, such as styrene, the casing and/or the lower wall portion thereof can be made of fish paper, that is, an impregnated kraft paper which is commonly used in sound makers, or these parts can be made of metal or any other suitable material which has sound transmitting characteristics. As indicated previously, the cylindrical casing 10 provides a resonating chamber for the sound produced and the dimensions of the casing will, therefore, affect the tone and volume of the sound.

In order to further amplify the sound produced within the soundmaker casing, means such as that illustrated in FIGURE 4 might be employed. In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4, the top wall 32 of the casing 34 includes a large opening and a closed end cylinder 36 is fixed within the opening in concentric relation to the axis of the casing. The lower edge portion of the cylinder 36 extends into the casing to ,serve as the ball retaining means, in the manner previously described. The interior of the cylinder 36 provides additional volume to the interior of the casing 34 and, therefore, serves to amplify the sound produced within the casing. Preferably cylinder 36 is of the same material as the casing 34 and both parts are of material having resonating characteristics. Of course, the casing 34 and the cylinder member 36 may take other forms and shapes and still produce the desired results.

A further modification of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, wherein the sound maker is incorporated in a differently shaped and preferably larger housing. In this particular instance, the serrated circular member 40 is supported in the housing 42 by a plurality of relatively thin ribs 44 which extend from the housing wall to a position immediately inwardly of the serrated periphery of member 40. The serrated member 40 rests on or contacts the open end of a sound amplifying cone 46, which may be made of plastic or other suitable material having sound transmitting characteristics. The apex 48 of the cone is flattened slightly to provide an area for contacting and aflixing the cone to the lower wall 50 of the housing 42. The intermediate portion of the housing 42 is tapered inwardly to provide a shoulder 52 which cooperates with a cylindrical part 54 extending upwardly from the serrated member 40 in providing a retaining means for the metal ball 56. The upper portion 58 of the housing 42 is dome-shaped to thereby cooperate with the amplifying cone 46 in providing a greater volume of air for transmittal of the sounds produced throughout the housing due to the vibrations established through the rolling contact of the ball 56 with the serrated edge of member 40. A series of openings 59 are provided in the lower Wall 50 of the housing to permit the sound to escape the housing to the surrounding atmosphere.

The circular member 40 including the serrated edge has an opening 60 therethrough to provide for the transfer of sounds between the cone 46 and the remainder of the housing 42. As in the previous modifications, the materials used for the cone, the serrated member and the housing are preferably each of relatively hard plastic, although other suitable materials having sound transmitting characteristics might be used. In this particular embodiment, it is believed that the ball 56 striking the serrated edge portion of member 40 in sequence, while maintaining its rolling engagement with the inner wall 42 of the housing, transmits the vibrations to the wall of the amplifying cone 46, and to some degree to the wall of the housing 42, and such action produces the resulting amplified sound simulating the growl of an animal. The use of the cone 46 and the particular configuration of the housing 42, of course, aids in amplifying such sound.

Although shown and described with respect to particular embodiments it will be apparent that various modifications might 'be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A soundmaker for a toy comprising a hollow resonant casing including a vertical annular wall portion, a bottom wall, and a top wall, an annular member supported in said casing in concentric, spaced relation with said annular wall portion, said annular member having a serrated outer periphery presenting a series of teeth facing in the direction of said annular Wall, and a ball disposed in said casing for rolling movement about the path defined by said annular wall and said teeth, said wall having a diameter greater than the distance between successive teeth of said series, said diameter also being greater than the width of said path so that said ball is supported between said teeth and said annular wall in elevated relation to said bottom wall.

2. A soundmaker for a toy as set forth in claim 1, including a sound resonating chamber carried by said top wall and having an open end adjacent said annular memher.

3. A soundmaker for a toy as set forth in claim 1, including a hollow cone-shaped member having its open end in engagement with said annular member in closely adjacent relation to the serrated edge thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,263,361 8/ 1966 Bowden 46l92 XR 874,526 12/1907 McLaughlin et al. 46193 XR 1,318,024 10/1919 Sundell. 1,474,488 11/ 1923 Nelson 273-142 1,520,697 12/1924 Carlson 273--142 2,788,612 4/1957 SametZ 46-175 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 11,063 7/ 1893 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

S. NA'ITER, Assistant Examiner.

US. 01. X.R. 46-193 Patent No. 3,418,749 December 31,

Carl Ayala It is certified that error patent and that said Letter shown below:

appears in the above identified 5 Patent are hereby corrected as Column 4, line 20, "wall" should read ball Signed and sealed this 17th day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

